1. In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of Trifles. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?”
The play opens without characters on stage and depicts an untidy kitchen that was left in dissenter. The house appears cold, lonely, and depressing. As the characters- Mr. Henderson the county attorney, the Sheriff, Mr. and \Mrs. Hale, and Ms. Peters- they draw attention to the physical coldness as the men quickly draw near to the fire burning on the stove. The male characters are entering the typical 20th century Midwestern farmhouse in the dead o winter to investigate the murder of Mr. Wright which had occurred the day before; however, the women are there to collect items for Mrs. Wright the alleged murderer. 2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play?
When Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters are piddling around Mrs.l Wight's kitchen they find a basket of quilting material. Within the basket their is a nice, decorative box in which they find the remains of a dead canary with a broken neck. This causes women to speculate about the death of the bird which leads to further speculation about the motives surrounding the death of Mr. Wright. 3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
During this time period, it was unusual for women to be suspects in murders; however, on the previous day Mr. Hale when to the Wright house to ask Mr. Wright if he wanted to join a party phone upon his entrance to the house he finds Ms. Wright behaving strangely and discovers Mr. Wright's body. These events bring the characters to the house during the events of the play. 4. State the dramatic question or questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
The audience must answer whether or not the bird is a direct connection to the motivation behind Mr. Wright's deaths well as if Mr. Wright killed the bird or Mrs. Wright. 5. Use Ms. Hale to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is the dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Trifles the wants of Ms. Hale change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles for Ms. Hale.
As the play progresses, Mrs. Hale feels remorseful that she did not visit Mrs. Peters prior to the murder. After she finds the bird, Mrs. Hale wants to desperately hie this from the men in order to protect Mrs. Wright. She is then facing the conflict of herself against the law because she is clearly hiding evidence that is very crucial to the investigation. 6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Trifles.
I believe that the most theatrical moment of "Trifles" is when the women find the body of the canary and the events that unfold after that. This discovery causes the women to begin to speculate about the Wright's day to day life. We also begin to further develop the charters of Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters. 7. Provide at least three examples of images in Trifles. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit
The poor stitching- The quilting square with poor sewing shows us insight into the digression of Mrs. Wright's state of mind as she approaches the time of the murder.
The broken bird cage- The bird cage represented how Mrs. Wright was trapped in her own lonely, sad home. However, the broken door hinge an show that she had broken free of her "cage" with the death of her husband.
The rocking chair- The rocking chair in the kitchen was the last connection to Mrs. Wright because she saws sitting in it when Mr. Hale discovered the body. Mrs. Hale is even afraid to sit in the chair because she sees it as a representation or connection of Mrs. Wright in her darkest moments. 8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Trifles.
"Trifles conveys the themes of the littlest things having the biggest impacts and that women should be respected as intellectual equals. 9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with Trifles? Is family redefined in Trifles?
The Wright's did not have children and didn't have a happy home. The play draws the importance of family to the dynamic of a household; therefore, the lack of family can bring loneliness and sadness. However, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters redefine the meaning of family as they assume the positions of Mrs. Wright's protectors upon finding the bird. By forming a jury of her peers they are giving Mrs. Weight hope and the change to be acquitted of her crimes.
The play opens without characters on stage and depicts an untidy kitchen that was left in dissenter. The house appears cold, lonely, and depressing. As the characters- Mr. Henderson the county attorney, the Sheriff, Mr. and \Mrs. Hale, and Ms. Peters- they draw attention to the physical coldness as the men quickly draw near to the fire burning on the stove. The male characters are entering the typical 20th century Midwestern farmhouse in the dead o winter to investigate the murder of Mr. Wright which had occurred the day before; however, the women are there to collect items for Mrs. Wright the alleged murderer.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play?
When Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters are piddling around Mrs.l Wight's kitchen they find a basket of quilting material. Within the basket their is a nice, decorative box in which they find the remains of a dead canary with a broken neck. This causes women to speculate about the death of the bird which leads to further speculation about the motives surrounding the death of Mr. Wright.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
During this time period, it was unusual for women to be suspects in murders; however, on the previous day Mr. Hale when to the Wright house to ask Mr. Wright if he wanted to join a party phone upon his entrance to the house he finds Ms. Wright behaving strangely and discovers Mr. Wright's body. These events bring the characters to the house during the events of the play.
4. State the dramatic question or questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
The audience must answer whether or not the bird is a direct connection to the motivation behind Mr. Wright's deaths well as if Mr. Wright killed the bird or Mrs. Wright.
5. Use Ms. Hale to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is the dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Trifles the wants of Ms. Hale change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles for Ms. Hale.
As the play progresses, Mrs. Hale feels remorseful that she did not visit Mrs. Peters prior to the murder. After she finds the bird, Mrs. Hale wants to desperately hie this from the men in order to protect Mrs. Wright. She is then facing the conflict of herself against the law because she is clearly hiding evidence that is very crucial to the investigation.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Trifles.
I believe that the most theatrical moment of "Trifles" is when the women find the body of the canary and the events that unfold after that. This discovery causes the women to begin to speculate about the Wright's day to day life. We also begin to further develop the charters of Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Trifles. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit
The poor stitching- The quilting square with poor sewing shows us insight into the digression of Mrs. Wright's state of mind as she approaches the time of the murder.
The broken bird cage- The bird cage represented how Mrs. Wright was trapped in her own lonely, sad home. However, the broken door hinge an show that she had broken free of her "cage" with the death of her husband.
The rocking chair- The rocking chair in the kitchen was the last connection to Mrs. Wright because she saws sitting in it when Mr. Hale discovered the body. Mrs. Hale is even afraid to sit in the chair because she sees it as a representation or connection of Mrs. Wright in her darkest moments.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Trifles.
"Trifles conveys the themes of the littlest things having the biggest impacts and that women should be respected as intellectual equals.
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with Trifles? Is family redefined in Trifles?
The Wright's did not have children and didn't have a happy home. The play draws the importance of family to the dynamic of a household; therefore, the lack of family can bring loneliness and sadness. However, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters redefine the meaning of family as they assume the positions of Mrs. Wright's protectors upon finding the bird. By forming a jury of her peers they are giving Mrs. Weight hope and the change to be acquitted of her crimes.